Gestures of goodwill can be a tricky business, particularly if you're a dignitary visiting a foreign land with customs you're not quite used to. Here are five memorable moments in which American luminaries raised eyebrows abroad. They probably all meant well, but some flubs were better received than others. —Reno Ong

One Hand in My Pocket

South Korean President Park Geun-hye shakes hands with Microsoft founder Bill Gates at the Blue House in Seoul on April 22, 2013

Microsoft founder Bill Gates was accused of disrespecting South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday when he greeted her with one hand planted firmly inside his pocket. The software tycoon, formerly the world’s richest man, was lambasted in the South Korean press and social media for the apparent slight. “Cultural difference, or an act of disrespect?” asked the JoongAng Ilbo daily newspaper. To show proper courtesy, South Korean etiquette deems that he should have clasped the President’s proffered hand with both of his.